# Baking a tobacco tin



## User Name (Feb 11, 2011)

Anyone tried this? Supposedly, it will have the same effect as aging tobacco. This guy bakes his tin for 5 hours at 90 degrees Celsius.

I'm interested in trying this, any pointers?

Here's a video for reference:






P.S.- I think this guy also bakes Crack.


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## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

I'll age my tobacco the old fashioned way.


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## Firedawg (Nov 8, 2010)

I just cant take advice from a man that owns a cat. Get a dog than we can talk. 

Was an interesting concept just that I dont see it doing the same things as aging. I believe it does change the tobacco some but not the same way. Same as aging food and cooking it. Jerky or steak both good just different flavor profiles.


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## User Name (Feb 11, 2011)

might have something to do with an increase in the bacteria's function that ages to tobacco?

Might not be the same as ageing, but does it improve fresh blends? If I want to pop a tin of erinmore to smoke it, but its too fresh, will baking help and make my experience more pleasurable?


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## piperdown (Jul 19, 2009)

User Name said:


> might have something to do with an increase in the bacteria's function that ages to tobacco?
> 
> Might not be the same as ageing, but does it improve fresh blends? If I want to pop a tin of erinmore to smoke it, but its too fresh, will baking help and make my experience more pleasurable?


That would be too hot for bacteria, the main range is 35-40 C and the entire range is 25-80 C.

Sounds more like increasing the rate of a chemical reaction but I'd be nervous about overdoing it.


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## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

I'd also wonder whether the sheer increase in volume would pop sealed tins at that temperature = /


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## User Name (Feb 11, 2011)

Xodar said:


> I'd also wonder whether the sheer increase in volume would pop sealed tins at that temperature = /


They would. This would be done to tobacco you'd want to smoke now.


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## VFD421 (Nov 8, 2008)

I have heard of leaving a tin out in the sun or on a hot dashboard for awhile, kind of like stoving the tobacco in a way. Never tried it though.


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## skydvejam (Feb 27, 2011)

Yes I have heard about the hot dashboard for a few hours idea myself. The oven though sounds sort of extreme.


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## x6ftundx (Jul 31, 2008)

If it sounds like BS it normally is... That's just my motto


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

:spank:This is frm Greg L. Pease's FAQ. I'm going to smack the hand of anyone who tries this BTW. :spank:

*Q: I've read about heating the tobacco in a microwave. Is this a good idea?*
In a word, NO. Heating tobacco that you like is not a good idea, as it will change the character of the blend. Blenders do it in specifically controlled ways - stoving, panning, steaming - to alter the characteristics of the leaf before, and sometimes after blending. But, if you like the way the tobacco "comes together" now, you may be less than happy if you nuke it. In some cases, you might notice an improvement, in others, the result will be anything but satisfactory. Further, there just is no reason to do this. Sterilize your jars, fill them up, and put the caps on. What purpose will heating serve? The jars will seal fine without the "pop" of the slight vacuum that results from cooling.

So, NO heating! Unless it's in your pipe.


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## User Name (Feb 11, 2011)

He never said anything about an oven 

Plus, he says heating tobacco that you "like"

So I'll try this on some stuff I think sucks.


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## owaindav (Mar 7, 2010)

User Name said:


> He never said anything about an oven
> 
> Plus, he says heating tobacco that you "like"
> 
> So I'll try this on some stuff I think sucks.


 Incorrigible young pup!


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

I've tried it with a tin of flakes I did'nt care for. It became much nicer. If it's similar to ageing i can't tell, I dont got a lot of experience(working my cellar). I found the temprature to be a bit to hot(or my termostate is'nt to reliable), part of the top and bottom flake was stuck to the wax paper. 

What I've done several times this winter is a oil-radiator routine. Put a tin on the heater,with a book on top of it for a couple of chapters of another book. Then I let it cool down slowly and open it the next day. A tin of Orlik's BullsEye (PS LBF) put trough this treatment taste better than a new or a 3 month old one IMHO.

It's a good thing to cellar the old way. But I don't got a lot of 1 year + tins yet. And the ones I've got I wont smoke. 

I'm sure you can ruin some tobacco by doing this. But if you've got a favorite you smoke a lot and you only got young tins I'd say give it a try. After all, this is a hobby and some DIY alchemy sure wont do it any less interresting.

I'm looking forward to grow old. All that good tobacco, mmmmh.


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## GuitarDan (Nov 26, 2009)

I wonder if the C&D beetles enjoy the extra warmth? *chuckle*


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## Xodar (Mar 4, 2011)

GuitarDan said:


> I wonder if the C&D beetles enjoy the extra warmth? *chuckle*


 Which poses the question, at what temperature does a beetle *POP* :spider:


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## Eirik (May 7, 2010)

GuitarDan said:


> I wonder if the C&D beetles enjoy the extra warmth? *chuckle*


Roasted, caramelized beetles. No wonder it's so sweet.


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## Jivey (Dec 6, 2010)

User Name said:


> He never said anything about an oven
> 
> Plus, he says heating tobacco that you "like"
> 
> So I'll try this on some stuff I think sucks.


Oven Roasted Circus Candy? aka Orcc Blend! You might get indigo to try it calling it that!


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## User Name (Feb 11, 2011)

I never said I didn't like circus candy, it just makes me gag.

Great way to lose weight.


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## Garin (May 21, 2010)

Well, hey, not much to lose really! Is it the same as aging? I doubt it. But it's certainly going to change the chemistry of the tobacco somehow.

I'd say give it a shot on a tin that you have no trouble replacing and/or tossing if it all goes awry. Also, make sure you have *two* tins of the same stuff so you have a control! Bake one, and leave one raw. Try them both side by side in new corncobs, and compare! Don't forget to make a video and post it on youtube so we can watch!


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## Nachman (Oct 16, 2010)

Garin said:


> Well, hey, not much to lose really! Is it the same as aging? I doubt it. But it's certainly going to change the chemistry of the tobacco somehow.
> 
> I'd say give it a shot on a tin that you have no trouble replacing and/or tossing if it all goes awry. Also, make sure you have *two* tins of the same stuff so you have a control! Bake one, and leave one raw. Try them both side by side in new corncobs, and compare! Don't forget to make a video and post it on youtube so we can watch!


and laugh!


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## RJpuffs (Jan 27, 2008)

owaindav said:


> :spank:This is frm Greg L. Pease's FAQ. I'm going to smack the hand of anyone who tries this BTW. :spank:
> 
> *Q: I've read about heating the tobacco in a microwave. Is this a good idea?*
> In a word, NO. Heating tobacco that you like is not a good idea, as it will
> ...


Ditto. Besides, don't even think about microwaving a metal tin :spank:

In a conventional oven, baking it is essentially "stoving" the baccy. Now if you have a tin of something monstrously bad, that you are unable to even give away, they its to OK try it. The tobacco will change, for better or worse who knows. As long as you don't set your oven on fire.


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## shannensmall (Jun 30, 2010)

My guess would be that this is pretty much the same as stoving the tobacco. It would be different than tossing a few flakes in the ol microwave, cause a the microwave is going to heat the baccy to a greater extreme, B. it still being in the tin will help keep it from drying out.

I think it would be worth a shot, but also doubt it's the same as aging. The stoving process often makes the blends smoother and cuts down on the sharpness of a blend. Look at Black Irish X vs Brown Irish X. They get the black by stoving the same baccy longer than the Brown. Wile the black has a more rustic flavor profile, it also is a bit smoother with less of a nicotine kick.


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## dmkerr (Oct 27, 2008)

This is how I smoke Granger. A few hours in the oven tones down the topping and makes this a killer burley.


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## smellyfeet (Dec 11, 2005)

I found this article, i only pasted part of it cuz its a bit long. As always your YMMV, the rest of the article is a the link, you have to scroll down about half way down the page to the english part.

Tabak backen

NOTES FROM THE TOBACCO BAKERY
By Fred Hanna

....I have been asked what is the proper cooling period for cooked tins, before opening the tin. Greg Pease once said that a tobacco will continue to change for several days after stoving. This may well be true, and Greg no doubt knows what he is talking about. However, with my limited knowledge and experience I cannot say for sure. What little experience I do have, shows that the flavors are fine regardless of how long I wait to open them. For example, I have opened the latest version of McCranie's Red Ribbon within an hour, and after a week, of cooking. Both tasted great. BEFORE SMOKING THE TOBACCO HOWEVER, I USUALLY WAIT A DAY OR TWO AFTER OPENING THE TIN. ......

....Is tin baking the same as stoving? Hell, I don't know but I suppose so. Actually, I don't know what the hell I am doing. But I do know that I will be doing tin baking regularly for certain tobaccos. Try 200/300 with a tangy, sharp 2003 or 2004 McClelland Christmas Cheer and see how it mellows, darkens, and behaves more like a matured Virginia . I found that 200/300 makes the current version of McCranie's Red Ribbon smoke downright heavenly--smooth, rich, sweet, and creamy. I love the older Red Ribbon tobacco aged, but the baking method gives the new version an entirely new dimension that I like just as much. And with McClelland Virginias, the wine/vinegar aroma that some souls do not like, reduces significantly, just as it does with aging. This method at 220/140 made a tin of Rattray's Marlin Flake smell like oatmeal raisin cookies (must be some topping they put on it), but the topping seemed to meld nicely with the tobacco, which took a different, though not necessarily better, flavor.

Escudo is distinctly improved by this method, in my opinion. In the opinion of some other Escudo fans, 200/300 merely produces an excellent variation. The "wheels" or "curlies" reduce in size, turn much darker, and, to my taste, the smoke becomes more substantial, rich, and tasty. A friend, who is an Escudo fan, baked Escudo at 180/360 and raved about the improvement, calling it "the best" and "wonderful." In the case of Solani 633, the tobacco takes on a noticeably creamy flavor at 220/140, and is much more smooth. Several pipe smokers have tried this with GLP Haddo's Delight and reported positive results. I found that at 220/140 Haddo's takes on a highly pleasant, subdued sweetness that was not previously present in the blend.

The added sweetness could be due to the heat breaking down the natural starches in the tobacco leaf, freeing the glucose molecules that make up the starch itself. Just as cooking mellows and sweetens carrots, onions, and garlic, it may be that a similar process is occurring with baking tobacco. Having said that, please understand that this is pure speculation as I really do not know.

I have not tried this method with aromatics and probably will not. As for English tobaccos, I have baked a few but am not ready to report on those at this time. Meanwhile, my experimentation, and fun, continues. ALLOW ME TO REPEAT THAT TIN BAKING IS NOT MEANT TO BE A SUBSTITUTE FOR THE AGING PROCESS, but it sure does seem to make some Virginias much more smokable in the near term. Like I said before, try this at your own risk. I would interested in hearing from anyone who tries tin baking and wants to share their experiences and impressions


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

For some reason, my thoughts on this remained hung up on the tobacco in the can being the same tobacco that *came* in the can. Having a collection of old cans and rather a lot of bulk 5100 and HH Mature Virginia to diddle with, it occurs to me that I can give this a go using some old Dunhill tins! :smile: Think I'll go for one each.


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## Nick S. (Jul 10, 2011)

At first I got really excited when I saw who the OP was on the thread... Then I realized it was an old thread...

But on topic, this is a really interesting idea. Could one do this with tobacco in a mason jar?


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Nick S. said:


> But on topic, this is a really interesting idea. Could one do this with tobacco in a mason jar?


Possibly, but it might be a little dicey. They do boil without incident during canning, however. I think just using the old Escudo/Dunhill tins I have would work just fine. The article says the seals on them break on on the new cans anyhow, without messing anything up.


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## Nick S. (Jul 10, 2011)

freestoke said:


> Possibly, but it might be a little dicey. They do boil without incident during canning, however. I think just using the old Escudo/Dunhill tins I have would work just fine. The article says the seals on them break on on the new cans anyhow, without messing anything up.


Wouldn't keeping them sealed be important as to prevent the tobacco from drying out? Otherwise you could just place it on a cooking sheet...


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

Nick S. said:


> Wouldn't keeping them sealed be important as to prevent the tobacco from drying out? Otherwise you could just place it on a cooking sheet...


Well, having a small leak in the boat isn't the same as throwing everything overboard. :lol: From the original article:

*
THE FLAT TINS of Virginia are a slightly different story. Tins such as Escudo and Solani 633 DO POP THEIR SEAL WHILE BAKING but the result is still positive. Surprisingly, the tobacco inside does not dry out or become "roasted" or burnt, and its moisture seems to be largely retained. Here again, I recommend cooking these at 200/300 as well. After cooling for a few hours, I remove the tobac from the baked flat tin and place it in a separate container. *

I'd risk an ounce or two of 5100 on it. :spy:


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## Nick S. (Jul 10, 2011)

freestoke said:


> Well, having a small leak in the boat isn't the same as throwing everything overboard. :lol: From the original article:
> 
> *THE FLAT TINS of Virginia are a slightly different story. Tins such as Escudo and Solani 633 DO POP THEIR SEAL WHILE BAKING but the result is still positive. Surprisingly, the tobacco inside does not dry out or become "roasted" or burnt, and its moisture seems to be largely retained. Here again, I recommend cooking these at 200/300 as well. After cooling for a few hours, I remove the tobac from the baked flat tin and place it in a separate container. *
> 
> I'd risk an ounce or two of 5100 on it. :spy:


Oops , must have missed that part when I skimmed through it before...


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## bullofspadez (Jul 27, 2011)

Nick S. said:


> Wouldn't keeping them sealed be important as to prevent the tobacco from drying out? Otherwise you could just place it on a cooking sheet...


With the low temps and short cooking I doubt the tins would release enough moisture to totally dry it out. You could also put a pan full of water in the oven with the tin. This will keep the moisture level up in the oven. Plus if its meant for short time frame consumption tobaccos, not cellar'd ones. So the broken seal doesn't mean much.

I left a tin of Gordon Pym in a work truck for a day. It was a huge difference the next day when I got back to it. Also, I bet any freshly opened VA blend could use a day in a hot car to mellow things out. Depending on tin date as well. Yep, nothing compares to the long term storage and cool factor of older tins...

I think I am going to try and car cook some Jackknife Plug next summer!


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## freestoke (Feb 13, 2011)

bullofspadez said:


> I think I am going to try and car cook some Jackknife Plug next summer!


That might be the next on my list if the 5100 turns out okay.


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